Cost of Living Comparison Between Zug and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Zug and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,487 in Zug versus $1,466 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,218 in Zug versus $2,325 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,950 in Zug versus $3,184 in Mexico City.

Living in Zug is roughly 206% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zug 235% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.36 CHF 25.37

$13.30 MX$231

143.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$165 CHF 130

$53.8 MX$932

207.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.36 CHF 15.18

$9.42 MX$163

105.52%

Cappuccino

$6.99 CHF 5.48

$3.59 MX$62.3

94.71%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 CHF 4.71

$1.62 MX$28.13

270.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 CHF 4.27

$1.12 MX$19.49

385.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.38 CHF 8.14

$3.25 MX$56.3

219.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.23 CHF 5.67

$4.65 MX$80.6

55.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.79

$1.64 MX$28.37

39.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 CHF 3.04

$2.65 MX$46.00

46.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 CHF 4.03

$1.96 MX$33.99

161.73%

Eggs

$7.91 CHF 6.20

$2.54 MX$44.08

211.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.31 CHF 22.98

$9.97 MX$173

193.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.11 CHF 28.31

$8.39 MX$145

330.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.88 CHF 35.19

$11.83 MX$205

279.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 CHF 2.99

$2.86 MX$49.62

33.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.68

$1.73 MX$30.05

23.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 CHF 2.18

$1.99 MX$34.50

40.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.13 CHF 5.59

$2.05 MX$35.51

247.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 CHF 1.82

$2.06 MX$35.64

13.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 CHF 1.93

$2.28 MX$39.54

7.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CHF 2.01

$1.45 MX$25.05

77.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 CHF 1.28

$1.09 MX$18.83

49.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.65 CHF 8.35

$4.27 MX$73.9

149.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.87 CHF 14.80

$14.67 MX$254

28.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.98 CHF 3.12

$1.76 MX$30.58

126.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 CHF 3.48

$3.57 MX$61.8

24.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.90 CHF 3.84

$0.38 MX$6.67

1189.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.7 CHF 77.4

$18.73 MX$325

426.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.82 CHF 6.91

$1.39 MX$24.09

534.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.63 CHF 4.42

$0.30 MX$5.26

1776.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.2 CHF 69.1

$5.41 MX$93.8

1530.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.68

$1.34 MX$23.22

59.70%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$41.0K CHF 32.1K

$18.9K MX$326.7K

117.42%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$42.5K CHF 33.4K

$23.2K MX$402.0K

83.38%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$290 CHF 227

$40.30 MX$698

619.98%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$67.3 CHF 52.8

$27.15 MX$471

148.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 CHF 46.37

$29.46 MX$510

100.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$136 CHF 107

$52.7 MX$914

158.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.73 CHF 25.66

$26.17 MX$454

25.07%

Cinema Ticket

$23.00 CHF 18.03

$6.18 MX$107

272.17%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$4,037 CHF 3,165

$441 MX$7,637

816.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.9K CHF 31.3K

$10.7K MX$185.4K

273.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 85.9

$57.2 MX$992

91.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 CHF 41.63

$45.04 MX$781

17.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$155 CHF 122

$103 MX$1,793

50.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 CHF 147

$109 MX$1,884

72.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,797 CHF 2,193

$1,000 MX$17.3K

179.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,221 CHF 1,741

$632 MX$11.0K

251.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,587 CHF 5,164

$2,141 MX$37.1K

207.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,857 CHF 3,808

$1,253 MX$21.7K

287.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$32.8K CHF 25.8K

$3,745 MX$64.9K

777.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$22.9K CHF 18.0K

$2,381 MX$41.3K

861.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,764 CHF 6,087

$1,079 MX$18.7K

619.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

11.34

-77.95%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Zug: April 21, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,797 in Zug and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zug pays 619% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $165 in Zug vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $704 vs $286 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Zug vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zug and Mexico City differ by about 206% in total monthly costs ($4,487 vs $1,466 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Zug pays 619% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,797 in Zug versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 427% less than in Zug. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $4,037 in Zug versus $441 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,466 in Mexico City versus $4,487 in Zug, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Zug. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Zug and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 206% less than in Zug. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.